Teacher refugees target brain drain

Even if refugees are granted permission to settle in their host country, they must adapt to a different culture and can struggle to get a job.

The charity Reconnect aims to help teachers who are refugees in the United Kingdom find work in the country and abroad. It also seeks to reverse the ‘brain drain’ by which developing countries are deprived of their brightest minds.

Many skilled professionals who fled their countries of origin understand the struggles of impoverished communities, including a lack of opportunity for education. Reconnect intends to create job opportunities by placing refugee teachers in developing countries, where their skills are desperately needed.

A pilot scheme due to be rolled out next year will send refugees to Ethiopia and South Sudan. In this audio interview, the organisation’s director, Theodros Abraham, explains why he thinks his concept will succeed, and how he intends to tackle the challenges ahead.